Israel Trip Day 4- Masada

March 12, 2015- Thursday

We drove from Tel Aviv to Masada.  We ate a picnic lunch at the bottom before our hike up. 

Masada is at the top of the mountain. This way up is the Roman ramp way. The mound of dirt to the right is the ramp that the Romans built to invade to fortress. 

We lucked into being on the right side of the mountain. The hike wasn't bad at all. It is much steeper on the other side. There is a cable car you can ride or a long snake path up the side. 

Going up the trail.

Hannah on the trail. 

Katie and Michael at the top. 

Joshua fell and hurt his knee. Hyrum was very concerned! It was so cute. He wanted to make sure Joshua was all right. These two are best buddies. 

You can barely see the dead sea.

Look Mom, little bath tubs!

The wall and buildings are built right on the edge! 

A platform was built right on the edge of one of the steepest sides. 

It was a great spot for echos!

I love this goofy kid!

Hyrum on over the edge, and not caring! At least he was finally starting to feel better

Stairs that went into the big cistern. 

Going down the stairs! They were steep!

I'm so glad my wild child lived! She has no fear! 

Inside the cistern. 

Going back out. 

Why use a perfectly good sidewalk when you can trip on the rocky wall next to it! 

The Dead Sea and the cable car line. 

At Herod's palace looking down at the building below.  

What she was looking at. 

Hyrum just wanted to run around and play. Josh had him most of the time and let me run around so I could see some of the small sites that the kids didn't care about. 

The storage buildings. 

On our way down to the lower portion. 

The stairs wrapped around the cliff side. 

Josh and Hyrum waiting for us on the bottom platform. 

The drop off! Down some more stairs. 

Joshua and Hannah went with me to go to the top of the look out tower at the highest spot. Joshua found a hole in the wall. 

Hyrum insisted on walking down the stairs back to the car. Josh and the kids got ahead of us. 

We stopped to change Hyrum's diaper by a bunch of camels wondering the hills. It's funny, we see camels all the time and have probably only seen 5 cows in our whole time in the middle east!

On our way to Jerusalem! We loved Masada!

Israel Trip Day 3- Caesarea

March 11, 2015- Wednesday

We drove up to Caesarea for the day. 

First we stopped at Herod's aqueduct. 

It was pretty awesome! 

It is right on the beach. 

It was a REALLY windy day. 

Poor Hyrum was still sick. He didn't like the wind. 

The kids love finding treasures wherever we go. 

We found a spot where the sand had piled up against the wall and climbed up. 

Here's Katie on the top of the aqueduct. 

Hyrum was okay as long as he had the blanket on his head blocking the wind. Poor baby!

Why do do kids love to jump off of thing? Especially if they get to land in sand!

I tried to get a picture of everyone. I love Katie's hair flying!

Next we went to the city. Here's a building next to the dry moat. 

Look a cubby hole for kids!

Hannah with a rock, imagine that!

Some of the views from the center. 

Katie is such a good helper! I don't know what we'd do without her!

Walking along the sea was the kids favorite part. 

My wild child!

Joshua watching the waves. 

They loved getting splashed by the waves coming over the sidewalk!

Wet kids!

There's a theater but it has been restored too much and was much smaller than the one in Amman. 

The kids exploring each and every nook and cranny at the theater. 

Walking back past the hippodrome, right next to the sea. 

A bad selfie of Hyrum and I, just to show I really was there! 

Exploring the royal bath. 

Taking a break on the beach. 

This beach was covered in shells. The kids had so much fun finding the best ones. 

Michael found a heart shaped rock and wanted me to take a picture. 

Joshua found a seat.  

Hyrum really liked the seat. 

On our way out. 

We went to a nice hill with lot's of trees for a picnic lunch. It was a nice area and blocked some of the wind. 

This is the way you sit in a seat!

Our picnic lunch rock. 

At the top of the hill was a large mosaic with birds. 

Hannah and Hyrum looking at the mosaic. 

The kids liked this recycled bench. The top was made of bottle caps, but most of them were broken. 

Then we went back to the beach by the aqueduct. 

The kids had fun running around the beach. 

Yeah! Sticks!

A hole, can't go over it, can't go around it, have to go through it. Splishy, splashy, splishyy, splashy.

We collected some really cool stones from this beach. 

Caesarea was one of our favorite things in Israel.